Florence Huskies' Riley Fall affected by Wetmore Fire

By BRANDON HOPPER hopperb@ canoncitydailyrecord.com

Posted:
10/26/2012 08:43:48 AM MDT

Riley Fall

Florence -- The Wetmore Fire hit close to home for the Florence Huskies football team. Junior Riley Fall lives in the middle of Wetmore and Wednesday hadn't been home since the fire started Tuesday afternoon.

"My initial reaction was that I wasn't too awfully scared because it was kind of far away," Fall said at football practice Wednesday. "I went pretty close to Wetmore, as far as I could go, and the whole mountain was just in flames. That's when I really started getting nervous."

He said the flames got about one-half mile from his house. Fall said he was still worried about the fire, especially if the wind changed directions.

He said he had been staying at his girlfriend's family's house since he was unable to get home, and he said his jersey was stranded at his house in Wetmore. Fall's mother was still at their house on Wednesday.

The Wetmore Fire has destroyed at least four homes of staff members and students of the Florence-Penrose School District. It is still considered 65 percent contained and has burned 2,100 acres including 14 homes in Custer County as of Thursday afternoon, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.